Diarrhea before childbirth: how many days it takes, duration and reasons

A woman during pregnancy suffers one unpleasant change in the body after another: toxicosis, mood swings, edema, excess weight. And it's about to end. The woman in labor has almost ceased to worry about the approach of childbirth. But nature throws up an unpleasant surprise - prenatal diarrhea. Expectant mothers are beginning to be interested in reasons. There is a desire to understand the possible consequences of the symptom.

Women ask the doctor at the reception or their own mother about diarrhea that appeared before childbirth. Most are shy about this intimate question. They look for the answer in medical reference books. However, one should not be embarrassed. The sign signals an impending birth. Diarrhea is not the only harbinger of early labor:

• Strong fetal pressure on the pelvic bones and rectum, accompanied by pain in the groin.
• Drawing pain in the lower back.
• Pain similar to menstrual pain.
• Body weight is reduced due to lack of appetite.
• Mood swings: from laughter to despair.
• The release of the mucous plug from the vagina before childbirth or in a few days.
• Amniotic fluid begins to drain.
• Bloody vaginal discharge due to damage to the superficial vessels. It signals the beginning of labor within the next 24 hours.

Prenatal diarrhea is common

This is a normal process and there is no need to worry. Likewise, the body is cleansed of everything that can prevent the child from leaving the womb. The norm is 3-6 urges to the toilet throughout the day. The amount of discharge should be small. After childbirth, physiological diarrhea disappears. You should be prepared for the fact that diarrhea may appear on the way to the medical facility.

Arriving at the hospital, you need to inform the doctor about the time of the last trip to the toilet. This is how the doctor learns about the fullness of the patient's intestines. If too much time has passed since the last act of defecation, the doctor prescribes a cleansing enema or special suppositories. This is a mandatory procedure to free the birth canal and facilitate delivery.

Before giving birth, your stomach may hurt from cramps caused by diarrhea. Diarrhea is accompanied by the waste of intestinal gases, which can inadvertently tone the uterus and cause false contractions.

Sometimes, instead of diarrhea, constipation occurs, which contradicts the course of preparing the body for childbirth. In this case, the patient must independently help the intestines to work normally. It is possible to influence the work of the organ in two ways: with the help of laxatives prescribed by a doctor, and by including in the diet foods that soften the stool: dried apricots, kefir, oatmeal cookies, and prunes.

When and how long does diarrhea last before childbirth?

Primiparous mothers need to know that the approximate time for the onset of a symptom is 37-38 weeks of pregnancy. No one will tell the exact start date, this is a unique feature of every woman in labor. In multiparous women, this "harbinger" of childbirth begins in a couple of days or directly during contractions. It happens that diarrhea does not appear at all.

Causes of diarrhea in a pregnant woman

Diarrhea occurs for three main reasons: physiological, intestinal infection and disruption of the digestive system.

The cause of physiological diarrhea is the preparation of the body for childbirth. The child changes its position in the uterus and descends into the pelvic region, ceasing to squeeze the stomach and lungs. The woman in labor is breathing easier and heartburn disappears. This is because the uterus stops pressing on the diaphragm, making breathing easier. Heartburn disappears due to the lack of pressure on the stomach, squeezing the eaten food into the esophagus. But the positive effect of displacement quickly replaces some discomfort: pressure on the sacrum, deformation of the bladder and intestines, indigestion. The first reason interferes with sleep, the second causes a frequent urge to urinate and loosens the stool. The disorder is associated with loss of appetite and, in rare cases, vomiting.

The second common reason diarrhea during pregnancy - intestinal infection. The pregnant body is weakened and unable to cope with the bacteria and viruses entering the body. It is necessary to urgently consult a doctor to prescribe treatment if the patient is worried about the symptoms:

• heat;
• vomit;
• stool is yellow or green with mucus, foam and an unpleasant odor.

This can negatively affect the condition of the expectant mother and the development of the fetus.

The third cause of diarrhea is diseases of the digestive tract (gastrointestinal tract). Disruption of their work causes dyspepsia (lack of enzymes). Because of it, food is less digested and absorbed. Undigested food in liquid form is excreted from the body. Dyspepsia requires serious treatment - the normal functioning of all organ systems depends on the condition of the gastrointestinal tract.

How to alleviate the condition of a pregnant woman

To reduce the number of urges to use the toilet and improve overall well-being, you need to follow a number of simple recommendations:

• To drink a lot of water. To prevent dehydration, you should consume at least 1-1.5 liters of liquid (including food) per day. More is allowed, less is not allowed.
• Refusal of heavy food. Fried, fatty, spicy and anything that is difficult to digest should be excluded from the diet.
• Move less and lie down more. Doctors recommend minimizing physical activity and spending more time in bed. This will reduce the stress on the overloaded spine, pelvis and legs.
• Eating foods that strengthen the stool.

Diarrhea treatment

Medicines are used to eliminate diarrhea due to intestinal infection or diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Medicines are taken as prescribed by a doctor, you cannot start taking them on your own! The specialist can appoint:

• Sorbents (Smecta, Activated carbon). Designed to remove toxins from the body.
• Enzyme preparations (Mezim, Pancreatin). They are prescribed for disorders of gastric or pancreatic secretion.
• Antispasmodics (Drotaverin, No-Shpa, Papaverine). Relax the intestinal muscles, reducing or eliminating colic and spasms.
• Preparations to restore water-salt balance. This group of medicines includes: Regidron, Lactosol, Trisol. They are used to prevent dehydration caused by the body's reaction to an intestinal infection.

Folk remedies

If you try to be treated in this way, you will be able to reduce costs while at the same time achieving the desired result. But the method has the desired effect after a few days. The measure taken acts as an aid to the main treatment. Among the many recipes, 4 of the simplest and most effective should be distinguished:

• Strong black tea. For 1 glass you need 3 teaspoons of leaf tea. The infusion is taken after meals. It helps to "fix" the chair.
• Starch water: Dissolve 1 teaspoon of potato starch in 100-150 grams of warm boiled water. The resulting solution is drunk in one go.
• Blueberry jelly. Jelly is cooked from blueberries. You need to take 1 glass after breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• If loose stools are a consequence of emotional stress, tea made from soothing herbs: mint, motherwort, valerian will help.

Remember that herbs can cause severe allergies. Before taking the infusions inside, treat a small area of ​​the skin with a cloth soaked in it. If after 10 minutes there are no reactions (redness, swelling), the solution is safe. In case of a reaction, an ambulance must be called.

Diet of a pregnant woman

The expectant mother should monitor her diet. The diet recommended by doctors includes:

• Vegetable soups;
• Porridge without milk from cereals;
• Yoghurts, kefir, fermented baked milk;
• Lean boiled meat (chicken) or fish (preferably seafood);
• Hard-boiled eggs;
• Water, juice, fruit drink, jelly, herbal tea, chicken broth;
• Homemade rusks.

Products are excluded from the diet:

• Fatty and fried;
• Milk "from under the cow";
• Canned food;
• Butter baked goods;
• Alcohol and soda.

Prevention of loose stools

In addition to diet, you need to follow a number of simple recommendations:

• Heat treatment of vegetables, meat, fish, milk and water.
• Food should be washed before cooking.
• Do not use expired food or for cooking.
• Personal hygiene: washing hands after walking or traveling on public transport.
• If the cooked food deteriorates, it must be disposed of.

Prenatal diarrhea is normal for a pregnant woman. To reduce discomfort, you need to drink plenty of fluids and move less. Diarrhea does not cause dehydration like an intestinal infection. If diarrhea is accompanied by fever, vomiting and a change in stool color, non-physiological diarrhea develops, you need to go to the hospital. And even if a young mother suffers from physiological diarrhea for a week or more, the future baby will not suffer from its effects.